Sunday, November 29, 2015

As mentioned in the previous lesson, there are generally five main elements available for creating artwork, along with six traditional principles. In order to simplify our understanding of the process-- as well as the myriad of complex combinations that are available for creating art--the lessons here are offered as simple, step by step food for thought, for casual art viewers, for beginning creators of artwork, and for experienced artists looking for simple refreshment and perspectives.

Last time, we discussed LINE as a basis for creating art. In this lesson, we'll look at SHAPES.

Note that one traditional way of using shape in painting is to depict the shape of the shadows and light. This is essentially the use of VALUES and will be discussed in a different lesson. Here, we'll look at capturing the simple SHAPE of the subject (the circles, squares and triangles) and particularly at the process of "massing in" the shapes to create the art.

A good rule of thumb is to limit the number of shapes in a composition to 5 or 7, to keep it simple and strong.

In the painting below, I tackled a daisy again, as in the first lesson. But rather than emphasizing the lines, the shapes were massed in, in colors, to convey the flower. The palette is soft and the brushstrokes are loose and expressive, there is little effort to render the actual flower, it's just the essence of the floral shape. You might notice that the petals resemble a series of triangles, the leaves are round and organic, and the stem is rectangular. Note also that the "air" around the flower is important, and those irregular shapes are part of the artwork.

SUGGESTION: Try this! Grab some paper and colored pencils, markers, or paint and create your own version , your own interpretation of a simple flower using simple SHAPES. You can use a live or artificial bloom nearby, or search online for an image.

REAL LIFE APPLICATION: Art Appreciation 101: Shapes-- The next time you come across ANY artwork in a lobby, a restaurant, a gallery crawl, pause, look, and consider the artist's use of SHAPE. How do they feature the contrasts of angles and curves, of circles, squares, triangles? Do they love shapes? Or is there something else that they are featuring in their interpretation. Food for thought.

Sunday, October 4, 2015

As you might know, there are five main elements available for creating artwork, along with six traditional principles. These are:
Lines
Shapes
Values
Color
Texture plus
Repetition
Balance
Harmony
Unity and
Movement

The combinations in use can be overwhelming, especially if you are logical, linear and analytical.

One fun and focused approach to creating is to choose your FAVORITE element (or perhaps any random one, if you ware still finding your path in art) and apply it to the subject you are capturing. The photo below demonstrates the use of my favorite element, line, along with some gentle movement, to capture this simple flower.

The basic contours were drawn loosely on watercolor paper. One main line/edge was featured via sharper contrast of edges.

Some artists will prefer to tackle a flower using bursts of gorgeous color, some with dramatic lighting and shapes. Since my preference is for neutral colors, soft edges, and flowing lines, the LINE and movement route is my favorite.

SUGGESTION: Try this! Grab some paper and a pencil or pen and draw your own version , your own interpretation of a simple flower using simple LINES. You can use a live or artificial bloom nearby, or search online for an image.

REAL LIFE APPLICATION: Art Appreciation 101: Lines-- The next time you come across ANY artwork in a lobby, a restaurant, a gallery crawl, pause, look, and consider the artist's use of LINE. How do they feature the contrasts of angles and curves, how do their lines move? Do they love lines, or is there something else that they are featuring in their interpretation. Food for thought.

About Me

ANN RUDD, Charlotte, North Carolina
Artist, psychologist, wife, mother; optimistic, calm, visual thinker, and analytical type. Master's in Applied Psychology, and award-winning artist.
By the way, all artwork on this site is protected under copyright law.